Check-dispensing machine



Jan. 31, 1928.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN%ENTOR. GRflNV/LLE S. 1051 BY ma ATTORNEYS.

G. S. RIDER CHECK DISPENSING MACHINE Flled Sept 3, 1925 Jan. 31,1928.

GJ'S. RIDER CHECK DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, .1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J: R. S m m w mm m V 0 N M T Q .Q. N 100. M w m H mm Q a m HIIWP u \R U fl Q 4 w 1: Mm. m

Jan. 31, 1928.

G. S. RIDER .cnncx DISPENSING momma Filed Sept.'5, 1925- 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JNVENTOR. 5 $05 @44 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANVILLE S. RIDER, OF LYNBROOK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO IiOOK-S'IUB CHECK COMPANY, INQ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CHECK-DISPENSING MACHINE.

Application filed September 3, 1925. Serial No. 54,239.

This invention relates to improvements in check dispensing machines, and has part1cular reference to a machine of the general type disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 24,905, filed April 21, 1925.

The machine of said application embodies .a construction wherein checks are partially ejected, one at a time, from a magazine, the ejection of each check being controlled by the withdrawal of apreceding check from the machine. The checks are cut previous to their insertion into the magazime and are stacked therein in a single pile.

In accordance with the present invention the checks are in a continuous strip in the form of a roll and each check is automatically fed to a partially ejected position'by the withdrawal of a preceding check from the machine, the latter check having been previously severed from the strip. An object of the present in ention is to provide an improved construction wherein a check attached to the strip is automatically fed to a partially ejected position by the withdrawal of a preceding check and severed from the strip so that it may be withdrawn from the machine.

Another object is to control the check ejecting and cutting mechanisms from a sin gle source of power and to utilize the operation of said cutting mechanism to maintain said source energized during the ejection of a check.

The above and other objects will ap ear more clearly from the following detaile description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred emdodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the machine, the o crating mechanisms bein shown in side e eva ion;

%igure. 2 is a similar view looking from an opposite direction with parts broken away and shown in section;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the cabinet of the-machine showing the mechanisms in front elevation;

Figure 5 is a. section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1;

The machine of the present'invention is preferably enclosed within a cabinet 10 of any suitable construction and provided in its front wall with an opening 11 through which the partially ejected checks 12 protrude before withdrawal from the machine. One method of utilizing the machine is to place the same in a restaurant or cafeteria where each person, upon entering, may withraw a check from the machine preparatory to eating a meal after which an attendant punches the check indicating the price of said meal. When a check is withdrawn from the machine the withdrawal thereof causes the automatic projection of another check to'withdrawal position and a signal 13, preferably audible, is operatedto indicats to an attendant that a check has been withdrawn. By this signal the attendant is informed as to whether any particular individual has withdrawn more than one check, thus. avoiding the possibility of a person securing two checks for purposes of deception.

Secured to the bottom of the casin 10 adjacent the center thereof is a stan ard 1% carrying a laterally projecting pivot pin 15 intermediate its ends. Mounted for rotation on this pin is the hub 16 of the reel which fusther includes the .side plates 17 and 18, the latter being removably mounted upon the ivot pin 15 to permit of a stri of checks being mounted on the hub 16 an the pin .15 in the form of a roll. A leaf sprin 18 is carried by the standard and engage with the roll to maintain the strip under tension and prevent the same from unrolling. The reel just described forms a part of a magazine which further-includes a platform 19 also secured to the base of the casing with its supporting surface arranged in horizontal a igmnent with the derstood thatwhenthe strip is in roll form itwill curl slightly when. unwound from the reel. In order to maintain the strip flattened as it passes through the channel a weight 21 is removably and pivotally which the check mounted in the channel by means of ins 22 engaging in the-slots 23 formed in t e side walls of the channel.

The check ejecting mechanism, which is somewhat similar in construction to that disclosed in the above mentioned application, includes a reciprocatory member 24 slidably mounted in guide grooves 25 in theplatform 19 and operated through the medium of a crank arm 26 and pitman 27 from a rotatable shaft 28 journaled in a suit-able standard 29 secured to the base of the casing.

Mounted for vertical movement about the pivotal connection between the slide 24 ahd the forward end of the pitman 27 is a check engaging arm 30, the free end of which e1- -tends upwardly through the longitudinal slot 31 in the supporting surface of the platform 1.9 and is capable of engagingin an opening 32 in each of the checks 12of the strip so as to advance the check toward its partially ejected position upon the forward movement of the reciprocating slide 24. A'

constant yielding upward pressure is exerted upon the arm by a spring 33 coiled about a rod 34 secured to the arm 30 and extending downwardly through the slide member. It is pointed out that during the .movement of any particular check to its partially ejected position, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the arm 30 engages in the opening'32 of the next succeeding check in the strip, which lat ter check is partially-ejected through the opening 11 upon the next operation of the ejecting mechanism.

When a check is partially ejected through the opening 11 the same passes between a set of contacts 35 and 36 secured to andjinsulated from the forward end of the platform 19 and in direct alignment with an opening 37 (Figure 9 in said platform through is discharged from the magazine, said opening being formed with a knife edge 38. The contacts 35 and 36, the former of which is spring pressed, form a primary switch utilized to control the operation of the ejecting mechanism, through the medium of an electric'motor 38', in a manner which will presently appear. .The conthe contacts 35 and 36 and consequently opens the circuit.

At the instant that the check has reached its partially ejected position the same is severed from the remainder of the strip by the operation of a cutting mechanism carried by the forward end of the platform 19 and including a knife 41 pivoted at 42 to the platform and guided in its vertical movements by a pin 43 engaged in an arcuate slot 44 in said platform. The knife cooperates with the cutting edge 38 to sever the check and its operation is controlled by a rotatable cam 45, shown in its normal position in dotted lines in Figure 8, which engages the.

under surface of the knife, the latter bein' yieldably held in contact with the cam an having a constant downward pull exerted thereupon by means of a c'oilspring 46, the upper end of which is connected to the knife andthe lower end secured to the base of the casing. The cam 45 is carried upon the for ward end of a shaft 47, the rear end of which has a bearing in the standard 29 and is provided with a bevel gear 48 meshing .with a similar gear 49 on the shaft 28 so that as the latter shaft rotates a similar movement will be imparted to the cam. Q

When a severed and partially ejected check is withdrawn from the machine the contacts 35 and 36, and consequently the switch members 39 and 40, are permitted to engage each other to close the circuit above referred to. The closure of this circuit starts the operation of the ejecting mechanism, aswill presently appear, the initial step in the operation being that of moving the slide 24 rearwardly to carry the check engaging arm 30 to its rearmost position where the free end of said arm engages in the opening 32 of the check succeeding that one which is about to be parthrough the opening 37 and between the contacts 35 and'36 which are then opened to break the circuit previously mentioned. At this time, the circular portion of the periphery of the cam 45, which revolves in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in,

Figure 8, is in engagement with the knife 41- to maintain the same elevated and this to maintain the circuit of the motor 38'- closed after the contacts 35 and 36 have been opened. This auxiliary control switch includes a pair of contacts 50 carried by the platform and adapted to bebridged by another contact 51 secured to an arm 52 mounted upon the free end of the knife 41. This auxiliary circuit remains closed until the cut-out portion of the cam reaches the dotted line position shown in Figure 8, at which time the knife 41 will move downwardly under the influence of the spring 46, The foremost check of the strip has now been partially ejected and the downward movement. of the knife 41 will sever said check. This movement of the knife also causes the separation of the contacts and 51 to break the circuit for the motor 38.

The downward movement of the arm 52 carried by' the knife is also utilized to operate the signal or bell 13 to indicate to the attendant that a check has been withdrawn and for this purpose the free end of the arm is provided with a striker 53.

The circuit for the motor 38 will now be described in detail. Current for the motor is supplied from a main conductor 54, one branch 55 of which is connected to a suitable switch 56, of any conventional type, mounted in the back of the casing and utilized to control the current of said motor. A conductor 57 connects the switch 56 with the motor and the latter is in turn connected by a conductor 58 to .one terminal of an electro-magnetic device, conventionally shown and indicated by the numeral 59, the purpose of which will presently appear. The other terminal of the device 59 is connected by a conductor 60 to the contact 35 and consequently to the switch arm 39. The other branch 61 of the main conductor 54 is connected to the switch arm .40 to complete the primary circuit for the motor 38. The secondary circuit which includes the auxiliary control switch consisting of the contacts 50 and 51 shunts the eiectro-magnetic device 59 and includes a conductor 62 connected to the terminal of the device 59 to which the conductor 58 is secured (Figure 1) and is also connected to one of the contacts 50. The other contact 50 is joined, by means of a conductor 63 to the switch 40 and consequently to the branch 61 of the main conductor. When the partially ejected check is withdrawn from the machine and the contacts 35 and 36 are closed the primary circuitof the motor 38' 'is energized, but the secondary or shunt circuit is opened due to the fact that at this time the knife 41 is in the dotted lineposition shown in Figure 8 and consequently the contacts 50 and 51 of the auxiliary switch are opened. This willpermit of the energization of the electro-magnet 59 for a purpose to presently appear and said magnet will not de-energize until the cam 45 has lifted the knife 41 to engage said contacts 50 and 51, this movement of the knife occurring during the rearward movement of the slide 24.

The shaft 28 is rotated through one complete revolution each time the motor 38' is energized, thrbugh the medium of a worm gear 64 carried by theshaft of the motor and meshing with a similar gear 65 loosely mounted upon the shaft 28. In order that the rotation of the shaft of the motor, and consequently of the gear 65, may be imparted to the shaft 28, a clutch device is employed. This clutch device consists of a disk 66 secured to the shaft 28 by a set screw 67. The disk 66 is provided in its periphery with a recess 68 and is pivoted at 69. In one end of said recess is a couplingmember 70 carrying intermediate its ends a laterally projecting pin 71. A coil spring '7 2 has one end connected to the member 70 and its other end to the set screw 67, said spring normally having a tendency to withdraw the curved portion of the member 70 into the recess 68, as shown in Figure 7. However, in its normal position the coupling 7 O is maintained in the position shown in Figure 6 against the tension of the spring 72 by the lateral extension 73 of the armature 74 of the electro-magnetic device 59, said extension being disposed in the path of movement of the free end of the member 70. When the device 59 is energized by the closing of the primary circuit previously described, which energization occurs upon the withdrawal of a check from the machine and the consequent closure of the contacts 35, 36, and 39, 40, the armature 74 is attracted and the extension 73 thereof consequently moved out of the path of the free end of the member 70. The closure of the circuit starts the operation of the motor 38 to rotate the gear 65 loosely mounted upon the shaft 28. This gear is provided in its hub portion with a recess '1' 5 capable of registration or alignment with a similar recess 76 formed in the periphery of the disk 66. As the gear 65 is rotated the recess therein will be brought into registration with the recess 7 6 and when this occurs the spring 7 2 will draw the member 70 inwardly to engage the pin 71 in the aligned recesses and thereby couple the gear 65 to the disk 66 and consequently to the shaft 28. The latter will now rotateand through its connections 26 and 27 with the slide 24 will cause a rearward movementof the arm 30 of the ejecting mechanism. Simultaneously with this rearward movement the arm 52 carried by the knife 41 is moved upwardly under the influence of the cam 45 and when the contacts 50 and 51 engage the auxiliary circuit ill) will be closed, thus shunting the electromagnetic device 59 which thereupon deenergizes. The de-energization of the device 59 permits its armature to restore to normal and again position the extension 73 thereof in the path of movement of the coupling member 7 O. The operation of the motor is now-under the control of the auxiliary circuit and the rotation of the coupling member 7 O and consequently of 'the shaft 28 continues to impel the ejecting mechanism forwardly so that the check being ejected will continue to move outwardly? At the instant said check reaches its extreme outward po-' sition the cut-out ortion of the cam 45 reaches its dotted ine position shown in Figure 8 and the knife 41 is released for its downward movement whereupon the check is severed from the strip. At the beginning of the downward movement of the knife the auxiliary circuit for the motor is opened and atthis time the free end of the coupling'member strikes the extension 7 3 to stop the rotation of said member. The disk 66 will continue to rotate a very slight distance and this slight movement of said disk is sufficient to effect the withdrawal of the coupling pin 71 from the recesses and 76, thereby permitting the gear 65 to rotate independentl of the clutch device, this'latter rotation being due to. the fact that the motor shaft continues to rotate for a short interval after the circuit for the motor is broken. At'the termination of the uncoufiling operation the ejecting mechanism has enagain restored to the normal position shown in the drawings.

Briefly, the operation of the machine is as follows:

When a partially ejected and severed check 12 is withdrawn from between the contacts 35 and 36 the spring pressed switch arm 39 will engage the switch arm 40 to close the circuit through the conductor 55,

switch 56, assuming this switch to be closed,

the conductor 57, motor 38', conductor 58, electro-magnetic device 59, conductor '60, contacts of the switch arm 39, 40, and the conductor 61 to the source of current supply. The armature of the electro-magnetic device is thereby energized to withdraw the extension 73.from the path of movement of the coupling member 70 and the motor starts to operate. The rotation of the worm gear 65 causes said gear to be coupled to the shaft 28 through the medium of the coupling device shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, whereupon said shaft starts to rotate. The cam 45 is driven by the shaft 47 geared to the shaft 28 and said cam starts to elevate the knife 41. Simultaneously the slide 24 starts its rearward movement and this movement continues until the free end of the arm 30 en-- gages in' the opening 32 of the check succeeding the one about to be partially ejected.

The forward movement of the slide and consequent movement of the strip of checks in a like direction now begins. In the meanwhile the knife 41 has been raised by the cam 45 so as to cause the closure of the contacts 50- and 51 to establish thev shunt circuit extending from the conductor 55 through the switch 56, motor 38', conductor 58, lefthand terminal of the device 59, as shown in Figure 1, conductor 62, contacts 50, 51, conductor 63, and conductor 61 to the source of current supply. The closure of this circuit causes the de-energization of the electromagnetic device 59 to restore the extension 73 into the path of the coupling member 70 and also maintain the circuit closed for the motor 38'.-

When the ejecting mechanism including the arm 30 has moved forwardly a distance equal to that between the forward end of the check about to be ejected and the point of engagement of the contacts 35 and 36,

said check will separate said contacts to again open the primary circuit which included the electro-magnetic device. The forill) ward movement of the check continues until the same has reached its partially ejected position at which time the cam 45 completes its revolution and permits the knife 41 to descend under the influence of the spring 46 and thus sever the partially ejected check from the rest of the strip. At the instant the knife starts its downward movement the shunt circuit, including the contacts 50, 51, is opened and at the same instant the coupling member 70 will again engage the extension 73 to cause the uncoupling of the gear 65 from the shaft 28. This uncoupling operation stops any further movement of the ejecting mechanism and cam 45 which have now reached their normal positions 'and the partially ejected and severed check is in position for its withdrawal from the machine.

When the knife 41 starts its downward movement at the beginning of the cutting operation thearm 52 is .carried therewith.

and the striker 53 thereon will hit the bell 13 to sound the signalwhich indicates that a check has been withdrawn from the machine. 1

What is claimed is: p

1. In a check dispensing machine, a magazine for containing a strip of checks. a platform along which said strip is movable, an ejecting mechanism including a reci roca-, tory. element operable to partially e ect .a

check of said strip from the machine, a slide movable along said platform and to which said" reciprocatory element is connected for engagement with said strip. an oscillatory member thereupon operable by its oscillation to sever the ejected check from said strip, and'means operated by the complete withdrawal of the severed check from the ma zine for contai e ecting mechanism including a rec1proca-' chine to efiect a repetition of the operation of said ejecting mechanism and cutting member. 7 y Y 2. In a check dispensing machine, a magazine for containing a strip of checks, an ejecting mechanism operable to partially eject the end check of said strip from the machine, a cutting mechanism 'for severing said end check from the remainder of the strip, a motor for operating said'm-echanisms, a circuit for said motor. a switch normally kept open by a partially ejected check and operated by the withdrawal of said check to close said circuit, a second cir-- cuit for said motor, and a second switch in the latter circuit controlled by said cutting mechanism to maintainsaid motor in operation after the first named switch has been opened by a check being partially ejected.

3. Ina check dispensing machine. a magaing a strip oi checks, an

tory member operable to partially eject the end check of said strip from the machine, a pivoted cutting member for severing said eiid check from the remainder of the strip,

a cam for controlling the operation of said cutting member a motor for operating said ejecting mechanism and cam, a circuit for said motor, a switch normally kept open bya partially ejected check and operated by.the withdrawal-of said check' to close msms, said severed check and controlled by the said circuit, a secondjcircuit for said motor, and a second switch mcluded in said circuit and controlled by said cam to maintain said motor in operation after the first named switch has been opened by partially ejected.

4. In a check dispensing machine, a maga check being azinefor containing a strip of checks, an.

cjec mechanism operableto partially eject e end check of said strip from the machine, a cutting mechanism for severing.

from the remainder of the said end check said mechastrip," a; motor for operating means normally held inoperative by to operate saidejecting vtion of another check, a pivoted cuttin withdrawal thereof for causing the opera-' tion of said motor, and means controlled by said cutting mechanism to momentarily" maintain said motor in operation after the last named means is rendered inoperative'by a cam for controlling the operation of said.

cutting member, a motor for operating said ejecting mechanism and cam, means normallyheld inoperative by said severed check and controlled by the withdrawal thereof for causing the operation of said motor and cam, and means under the control of said cutting member to momentarily maintain said motor in operation after the last named from the machine, av

means is rendered inoperative by another partially ejected check.

6. In a check dispensing machine, an ejecting mechanism for a strip of checks operable to partially eject a check of said strip from the machine, a motor for operating said mechanism, primary and shunt cir- 'cuits for said motor, contacts in said primary-circuit closed upon the complete'withdrawal of a check to energize said motor mechanism, said the partial ejecelement for severing a partially ejected c eck from the strip, means ting element in one direction about its pivot while said ejecting mechanism is'beingmperated, and other contacts in said '5 ant circuit closed by said movement of the cutting element'to momentarily maintain said motor in operation after the first named contacts have been opened.

contacts being opened by for movingsaid cut- 8 a .In testimony whereofI haveafiixed my signature. I

GRANVIILE S. RIDER. 

